Sagging Middles

I’m depressed. You know, that mind numbing depression you face when staring at that manuscript after you’ve ditched another pair of too-tight pants lying in a pile on the floor. I realize I’ve hit that road bump of mid-life, and in a writer’s life. I have a sagging middle.

How did this happen?

For my body, all it took was a few years at a desk job and a healthy appetite for sweets. For my book, all it took was a lack of conflict. Sigh. Okay, so it took longer for my body to rebel than my characters, but still. I have no excuse. No thyroid issues to blame it on. The blood tests came back normal. Nope. Just the daily inactivity of sitting in front of a keyboard and trying to achieve that happily-ever-after without an outline or game plan.

So, after I slip on a pair of comfy sweats, I realize I need to take action. Real action, and start an exercise routine, or gasp, go on a diet. For me, the sagging middle of the manuscript will be an easier task to face.

This one won’t require enormous amounts of energy, sweating from places I didn’t even know existed or snubbing a taste of my children’s ice cream. Nope, fixing the manuscript will involve massive amounts of brain energy and more computer time, which got me in trouble in the first place. (We won’t talk about the chocolate, though.)

If I need to workout, then it’s time my characters go through the wringer too. While I’m walking, I can add a new dimension or depth to my characters and force them to grow and change by throwing another obstacle at them. If I can work hard at my goal, so can they.

While I’m doing the dreaded stomach crunches, I can twist the plot into a different direction that forces my characters to make different choices. For me and my dreaded diet, that might be whether I eat a piece of chocolate or a slice of French Silk Pie or a stick of celery.

So, I’ll tape a picture of those skinny jeans to my refrigerator to serve as a reminder of my goal and strengthen the conflict within. By revisiting my characters goals and motivations, I can strengthen their conflicts.

I’m determined to get rid of both my sagging middles. So what’s stopping me? Nothing.

Watch out. That woman speed walking down the street with a picture dangling in front of her while she’s doing stomach crunches is about to mess with someone’s life. Fortunately it’s only in her mind.